Apparatus for rolling metal



July 501927 J. F. HALPIN APPARATUS FOR ROLLING METAL Filed March 8. 19265 R H 0 WM T R m 0 VFW" m A c M m Patented July 5, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

JAMES F. HALPIN, OF DERBY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO SEYMOUR/n6. 00., O1SEYMOUR, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

APPARATUS FOR ROLLING METAL.

. Application filed March 8, 1926. Serial 1T0. 92,994.

This invention relates to improvements in metal rolling, and hasparticular reference to a lubricating method and apparatus em.- ployedin connection therewith.

It is well known that insuflicient washing of metal after the usualpickling process leaves on the surfaces of the metal an acid solution inamild form which, if the metal is not thoroughly lubricated before beingrolled,

no is sufiicient to cause the metal, while being rolled, to adhere moreor less to the surfaces of the working rolls. This results in theformation of a metal lamination uporr the surfacesof the rolls andnecessitates frequent w removal thereof for the purpose of grinding saidsurfaces.

Heretofore, it has been customary, par ticularly in the cold rollingart, to apply oil to the strip or sheet of metal while it is being fedto. the working rolls, but prior to its passage therebetween. Thisapplication of the lubricant has usually been performed manually by theuse of a swab which is constantly dipped in an open pail, suspended at aconvenient place on the roll housing, and then applied to the surfacesof the metal. Experience has shown that this method is very uncertain insecuring uniformity of applicaton of the lubricant, one of the mainobjections being that the under surface of the metal fails to receive anamount of lubricant equal to that applied to the upper surface thereof.Furthermore, in employing this old method, it is necessary to usecompounded oil. having the quality of spreading over the metal as thelatter is being compressed between the working rolls so as to partiallyovercome any inequality of the application of the oil to the surfaces of40 the metal.

In accordance with the present invention it is proposed to apply alubricant directly to the working rolls as distinguished from the methodabove described, wherein the metal surfaces are lubricated-beforereach-' ing the rolls. In following the resent method, it. has beendemonstrated t at the lubricant can be uniformly ap lied to the surfacesof the workin rolls and due to this fact the amount of grinding of therolls to remove metal laminations therefrom has been materially reduced.

With the presentapparatus and method, considerable economy has beeneffected in s the amount of, lubricant used byregulating the flow'ofsaid lubricant to distributin rolls which contact the working rolls anthereby applyauniform film of the lubricant thereto. It has alsobeenfound possible to use an inferior grade of lubricant with thepresent method and apparatus, since with the lubricant uniformly appliedin ac cordance with the present invention, the necessity of usingcompounded oils, as reviously referred to, is no longer required? Theinventive idea involved is capable of receiving a variety ofexpressions, one of which, for purposes of illustration, is shown in theaccompanying drawing; but it is to be expressly understood that saiddrawing is used solely for the pur ose of facilitating the descriptionas a who e and not to define .the limits thereof, reference being had tothe appended claims for this purpose.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a front elevation of an apparatusfor-carrying out the present invention; Figure 2 is a vertical 22 ofFigure 1; and

section on the line I Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectionthrough one of the lubricating rolls and mounting therefor.

The apparatus shown in the drawing comprises what is commonly known as arollstand consisting of the oppositely disposed side frames 4 betweenwho are mounted in the customary manner the u per and lower workingrolls 5 and 6. ese rolls are power driven and arranged in super osedrelation so as to -receive and, compress t erebetween a sheet or stripof metal which.

travels through the apparatus in the direction indicated by the arrow inFigure 2. The usual bearin or rider bdxes 7 of the upper roll may li eadjusted vertically by means of the screw members .8 mounted in the topsof the side frames 4. The construction thus far described is well knownin the art of metal rolling and further detail description thereof is,therefore, deemed unnecessary for a clear understanding of the presentinvention.

In contradistinction to the usual method I of rolling metal wherein alubricant is applied by a swabbing, operation directly to the upper andlower surfaces of the metal just prior to its passage between theworking rolls, the present invention contemplates the application of thelubricant directly to the rolls 9 and 10, said branch pipes the surfacesof the working rolls by means of lubricating rolls 9 and 10 engaged,respectively, with the rolls and 6. The rolls 9 and 10 are preferablylaminated, being formed of a plurality of disk-like layers of felt so asto be capable of absorbing or retaining a lubricant on the surface ofthe roll, and applying said lubricant to the surface of the associatedworking roll at the point of contact between said rolls. Each 1 of thelubricating rolls has its end trunnions 11 mounted in suitable bearings12 carried by the side frames 4: and is yieldably held in engagementwith its working roll by means of a coil spring 13 the tension of whichmay be regulated by a screw it. Thus the lubricating roll will be freeto move radially with respect to its working roll to conform to anypossible irregularities on the surface of its working roll and will beconstantly held in yielding contact with said roll. Therefore, it willbe apparent that as the working roll is rotated its asso ciatedlubricating roll will also be rotated by frictional contact and the oilupon the surface of the latter roll will be applied to the surface ofthe working roll.

In order that a lubricant may be con stantly supplied to the lubricatingrolls there is provlded a reservoir 15 conveniently supported above theworking rolls from which the lubricant is fed to a main supply pipe 16depending from said reservoir. This pipe is provided with a valve 17 forregulating the flow of the lubricant from the reservoir and hasconnected thereto the upper and lower branch pipes 18 and 19 individualto being suspended above their respective rolls. A The branch pipes areprovided with a plurality of valve nozzles 20 which may also be utilizedfor regulating the flow of the lubricant directly to the surfaces of therolls 9 and 10. With the surfaces of the working rolls 5 and 6, thusconstantly and uniformly menses provided with a film of oil the metalbeing rolled will be efiectively prevented from adnerin to any degree tothe surface of either of said rolls. The use of the present apparatushas been found to materially reduce the amount of manual labor inconnection with the rolling operation 'and eliminates altogether thenecessity of an attendant swabbing the metal prior to its passagebetween the rolls. It has also been discovered that a much inferiorgrade of lubricant than that formerly used may be employed and that thenecessity of removing the working rolls for grinding operations to cleanthe surfaces thereof has been materially reduced.

Before the application of the lubricant to any particular part of thesurfaces of the working rolls, it is desirable that said sur faces bewiped in order toiremove any oil, dirt, water, or other foreign matterwhich might accumulate on the surfaces and which, if allowed to remain,might be rolled into the metal sheet and cause damage to the metal.Therefore, there is preferably used the wipers 21 and 22 suitablymounted in the side frames 4: and engaged, respectively, with thesurfaces of the rolls 5 and 6 so as to wipe said surfaces after thevarious portions thereof have engaged the metal sheet and before saidportions again contact the lubricating rolls.

What is'claimed is:

In a metal rolling apparatus, a pair of working rolls between which ispassed metal to be rolled, a laminated lubricating roll in constantengagement with each of the Working rolls, a lubricant reservoir, a mainsupply pipe leading therefrom, branch pipes connected to the main pipeand suspended above said lubricating rolls, and means for regulating thesupply of lubricant from said reservoir to the lubricating rolls.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature. e

JAMES F. HALPIN.

